Over the past few years, the tech industry has experienced significant highs and lows. From historic hiring booms during the pandemic to widespread layoffs in 2023 and 2024, many professionals are now asking a difficult question: Are tech jobs actually declining?
The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. While some roles are shrinking or evolving, others are thriving. In this post, we’ll explore recent trends, industry data, and what tech workers and job seekers should really expect in 2025.
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The Layoffs Don’t Tell the Whole Story
Between late 2022 and mid-2024, over 300,000 tech workers were laid off across the globe, with major cuts at Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and other tech giants. These layoffs were often framed as part of cost-cutting efforts or post-pandemic corrections.
However, mass layoffs don’t mean the end of tech jobs. They reflect a shift in business priorities:
Reduced over-hiring
Increased focus on automation and artificial intelligence
Streamlined teams centered on core products and infrastructure
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Tech Is Not Dying, It’s Changing
Tech jobs are not vanishing—they are evolving. Here’s a comparison between the landscape in 2020–2022 and what we’re seeing now in 2025:
Past Focus (2020–2022) Current Focus (2025)
Frontend development boom AI engineering, cybersecurity
Generalist coding jobs Specialized, high-impact roles
Consumer apps and social platforms Enterprise solutions and infrastructure
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, tech occupations are still projected to grow faster than the average for all sectors through 2031. However, the types of roles seeing growth are different than they were even two years ago.
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Tech Jobs in Decline vs. Jobs on the Rise
Some roles are naturally shrinking due to technological advancement and market dynamics.
Jobs facing decline:
Entry-level software engineering (oversaturation)
Manual QA and testing roles (replaced by automation)
Basic IT support or customer service (automated or outsourced)
Jobs seeing growth:
AI/ML engineers and data scientists
Cybersecurity professionals
Cloud infrastructure engineers (AWS, Azure, GCP)
DevOps and site reliability engineers
Product managers with technical backgrounds
This shift is driven by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data security requirements.
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Why It Feels Like Tech Jobs Are Declining
For recent graduates and early-career professionals, the job market can feel bleak. That’s because:
There’s an oversupply of applicants for generalist roles
Competition is stiffer than ever
Employers are demanding real-world experience over degrees or bootcamp certificates
While the quantity of entry-level jobs has slowed, specialized and in-demand roles are still being hired aggressively.
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How to Stay Competitive in the 2025 Tech Job Market
If you’re trying to break into tech or survive in it, here’s how to stand out:
1. Learn AI and automation tools
Familiarity with Python, TensorFlow, and prompt engineering is increasingly valuable
2. Earn cloud certifications
AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud credentials are in high demand
3. Develop DevOps skills
Understand containerization (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), and CI/CD pipelines
4. Build a portfolio
Showcase real projects on GitHub to prove your skills
5. Stay informed
Follow industry trends, attend webinars, and network in relevant communities
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What’s Happening to Remote Tech Jobs?
Remote work is still part of the industry, but the trend is shifting:
Hybrid models are becoming the norm
Some companies are restricting remote roles to specific time zones or regions
Remote workers must demonstrate excellent communication and self-management
This doesn’t mean remote jobs are disappearing, but companies are being more selective.
